Those of you who enjoy hot or even warm showers will appreciate this story.

Remember two-plus years ago when our hot water heater dumped 50 gallons of water and I had to tend to it shortly after having knee surgery?

We replaced it with an energy efficient Kenmore model.

However, for the second time now, the good ol’ reliable Kenmore water heater hasn’t been that reliable. In fact, all week we’ve had very little hot water. Each night and morning we go out to the garage to relight the pilot light. Each morning we have lukewarm showers, then cold ones. It’s a constant struggle to keep the light lit.

So, now that we’re on a budget that includes nada for home improvements, we’re looking at a service call to fix the darn water heater. That is, unless any of you have any safe suggestions for ways to keep a torch lit under the water tank.